Honoring Old Patterns By Celebrating New Ones
by BlackLion

We each continually discover new ways of seeing life, whether through experience alone or by intentionally changing how we exchange energy with the world. If we choose to honor our old patterns by focusing upon them or mourning that part of our lives, we feed our attention and energy to them, perhaps reinvigorating them to remain in our lives. This is where so many support groups maintain their energies, staying stuck in one place so that it takes a force of will to overcome such energies.

Instead, to honor your old patterns, focus on the new ideas, thoughts, and actions that you are now envisioning in your life. By setting your intention to remain in your newfound positive space, you can create even more flow in the direction of your desires. Celebrate by taking yourself out for a meal, taking a long bubble bath, or simply read an uplifting book in your comfy chair.

Any time you focus your attention on something that you want, the universe will continue to bring those experiences into your life. The same is true of looking back at old energies as well. Bring forth your positive uplifting energy by remaining in that positive space throughout your experience. You got to where you are based on all of your previous ways of doing things, so now the best way to honor them is to let them go and focus on where you are and where you really want to go. Cheers!

The Power of Letting Go
by Starcat

I recently read an article [link: http://zenhabits.net/100-days] by a man who had finished a challenge – for the past 100 days, he had let go of having goals. He wrote about the power of just being, without striving toward anything. And paradoxically, he said that he was more productive than he had been when he lived with lists and goals and strategies – and much happier. He planned to extend his goal-free lifestyle indefinitely.

As a confirmed list-making Virgo, I’m not necessarily advocating such an extreme experiment (unless it sounds just right for you). I’ve actually been working on my goals for 2012. But over the years, I’ve learned that trying to be in absolute control of all facets of your life is just a recipe for disappointment and frustration. It’s imperative that we learn to go with the flow.

Perhaps, like me, you’re a recovering control-freak. Or maybe you’ve never been quite so organized as that, but you feel guilty about it, or wish your life could be as pulled-together as that of some of your acquaintances. It’s an illusion, though. Being human is a messy process. Even in those picture-perfect homes, with smiling families wearing designer clothes (ironed, no less), there’s some kind of untidiness somewhere. It might be lurking in their dynamic emotions, surfacing as addictive behavior, or even just showing up as vaguely disturbing dreamscapes.

The thing is, it’s not a problem. Out of the chaos of life grows creativity and resourcefulness. There is always more for us to learn. If we try to hang on too tightly to order and stay in the comfort zone, sooner or later life will be knocking at the door, insisting we come out to play. If we ignore it, it’ll come right in after us.

I’ve found the best way to surf through life, for me, is to make a plan, with a schedule and lists, but to not get too attached to it. I don’t get upset when the situation changes – or at least, not very often. I’ve learned to be flexible, to let go of control. Your way of navigating through life will be unique. Stay open to what arises, and you’ll discover new joys, learning experiences, and perhaps a stronger connection to the energy tides of the Universe itself.

Recently we had brewed up a delicious potato-leek soup, which was soon devoured by the family. We had it for dinner one night, and the next day served up the leftovers for lunch, along with grilled biscuits, at our Aunt Peg’s, on the day she got home from the hospital (she broke her leg, badly, on Christmas Eve).

When our dear friend Kittywitch offered us some produce from the winter farm store, our first thought was: leeks! So BlackLion made up another batch of soup today, to share with the homeschool group. Again it was yummy, and very well received! This time we enjoyed it with our friend Mike’s awesome crusty bread. Here’s our easy soup recipe for you to enjoy on a cold winter evening:

Winter Potato-Leek Soup

5 large potatoes, diced
4 large leeks, sliced (white and light green parts only)
6 c. water
2 T. butter
2 c. milk
½ c. heavy cream
2 T. soy sauce
2 t. marjoram
1 t. thyme
½ t. dill
½ t. parsley
½ t. salt
1 T. corn starch
pepper to taste

In a large pot, put the potatoes, leeks, butter and water on low heat. Let them cook just below a simmer for 30 minutes to an hour, creating a flavorful stock. Add the remainder of the ingredients and let simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Staying on Your Track
by BlackLion

In every moment there is a chance to stay on your track or get derailed by old patterns of thought. As you go through your day, remember that you always have a choice on how you interact with the world. Whether you are focusing on what you want or what you don’t want, it manifests in your life based on the majority of your thoughts. Here are some ways to keep focused on your intentions rather than ride off on a negative train of thought.

Focus within. When energies are swirling around you that bring forth feelings of anger, frustration, or depression, take action by deliberately focusing within. Whether through meditation, visualization, or simply focusing on your breath, you can weather the storm and remain connected to your pure positive eternal source energy. Once that becomes your main focus, the world will shift and you’ll be able to resume course once again.

Change the subject. Focusing on what is wrong with the situation only brings more of that energy to you. If you cannot feel good about something that is really bothering you, change your focus purposefully to something that does feel good. When you are back into a better feeling place, you can more easily understand and forgive the wrong-seeming slight. By changing rail-lines to a better feeling one, the way ahead won’t seem so bad.

Journaling. Talk yourself through difficult situations by writing them down in a journal. Releasing these energies in constructive ways can alleviate your negative feelings and transform them into better feeling ones. As the thoughts leave your pen, remember to let them go. Then, get on with your day knowing you can release more old thoughts and patterns during the next journaling session.

Temporary containers. When we are in a funk, we can sometimes spread that energy to other people in bursts of frustration or anger. We are each responsible for our own emotions. If you’re in a situation where you need to stay present, create a temporary container that can hold these emotions in check until you can more easily deal with them. Don’t let them fester, but you don’t have to splatter them around the room either. All negative thoughts should be dealt with properly.

Emotional scale. One of the techniques I prefer to use is the Emotional Guidance Scale I learned of through Abraham-Hicks. Wherever you are on the scale of emotions, from fear through anger, frustration then boredom, contentment all the way to love, you can work your thoughts through the scale intentionally. If you are angry about something, take a thought that feels a little better, like resentment, and focus on that for a little bit. Once you feel better, take the next step to frustration then to boredom, contentment and then to loving feelings. With practice, you can travel up this scale rather quickly. As you continue to refine this process, you will eventually skip the getting angry part altogether and you’ll be able to live primarily in a place of love and joy.

Calm in a Crisis
by Starcat

What happens when you find yourself in a crisis? By crisis, I mean anything from a minor annoyance like having a flat tire on your way to an appointment, to falling on the ice and breaking a bone. Crisis takes you out of your normal routine or the expectations you had for your day and changes things in a way that may be unpleasant or painful. It’s human nature to get upset when events arise that you didn’t wish for or desire. Yet often these events need to be dealt with, and it’s easier to do so when you’re calm, or at least calm enough to see clearly.

In my experience, having a regular spiritual practice will help you keep or quickly regain your center in a crisis. It’s not that you’ll never be scared or angry or shocked – it’s just that you’ll have practical, everyday experience with finding your way back to an even keel. By training your powers of focus, concentration, and connection, you’ll respond immediately when it’s time to put them to use.

It doesn’t matter exactly what your chosen practice is – it might be meditation, prayer, divination, or any number of things. The main reason it helps you deal with tough situations is that you’re taking time, deliberately, on a regular basis, to connect with the Divine, with a part of yourself that is bigger than your normal waking consciousness. When you tap in to that energy, you’re allowing it to flow through you, and provide a stronger means of access to it.

I find that when I’m in a crisis situation, my mind first becomes a bit sharper and clearer. I evaluate what is going on and what needs to be done, then take action to do what I can to help. I make suggestions to others involved, if that seems helpful, and work with them to resolve things. Later, being the sensitive type that I am, I might collapse into tears, which is what I did on the recent evening my beloved aunt fell and broke her leg. But that part came after the paramedics had arrived and she was being cared for. My composure earlier in the process, when I fetched blankets and brought a coat for my Dad and made phone calls while we waited for the ambulance, I gratefully attribute to my daily spiritual practice. I’m so thankful for the connection I experience whenever I tap into it.